recipes and wisdom from a Midwestern kitchen

No-roll pie crust.

We’ve been on a pie kick recently, because we were on vacation (or, rather, on staycation). Ever since we road-tripped several years ago to Martha’s Vineyard, where roadside pie stands crop up in the summertime, we’ve equated vacation and pie.

I’ll share two pie recipes with you in the coming week, but first … the crust.

I’ve become comfortable and confident making my own pie crust over the years—it just takes a bit of practice and a recipe that you’re familiar with. My go-to easy pie crust recipe comes from my Grandma, who uses shortening instead of butter to make the crust both flaky and easy to work with.

For my recent pie-baking, I used my lovely Aunt Gretchen’s recipe for no-roll pie crust, which is even easier. Mix the ingredients right in the pie plate, press the crust into place, bake, voila. (If your pie recipe does not call for baking the filling, then you’ll want to blind-bake the pie dough a little longer.)

This pie crust is crisp and cookie-like rather than flaky, and it holds up well even with fruit fillings that would sog up an ordinary roll-out crust. Give it a try next time you bake a pie.

EASY NO-ROLL PIE CRUST RECIPE

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 9-inch pie plate, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Combine milk and oil, and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork to combine, then use your fingers to work the mixture together until large clumps form and no loose flour remains. Use your fingers to press the crust into place, beginning with the sides and finishing with the bottom; make sure there are no holes or cracks. Bake the crust for 10 minutes (if your pie recipe calls for baking the filling) or for 20 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden and firm to the touch (if your recipe does not call for baking the filling).

EASY NO-ROLL PIE CRUST RECIPE

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 9-inch pie plate, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Combine milk and oil, and pour into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork to combine, then use your fingers to work the mixture together until large clumps form and no loose flour remains. Use your fingers to press the crust into place, beginning with the sides and finishing with the bottom; make sure there are no holes or cracks. Bake the crust for 10 minutes (if your pie recipe calls for baking the filling) or for 20 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden and firm to the touch (if your recipe does not call for baking the filling).

Hi, Bryn,
I plan to make some individual pot pies. I will put the ingredients in Corning French bowls. I will use the crust just on the top. Will the No-roll pie crust cover the top of the bowls or is it too difficult to pat in place. Should I just sprinkle the crumbs across the top? Is it best just to roll out the dough? Thank you. Carol

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About Bryn

In addition to sharing easy recipes here, I'm the editor of Edible Ohio Valley magazine and the author of "The Findlay Market Cookbook." I write about food, wellness and creativity for clients and publications including Organic Gardening, Kroger, Meijer, Cincinnati Magazine and HOW. Read more about me or see my professional work »